Developmental tasks are skills that must be acquired at specific stages in life for physical and mental health. They can come from physical maturation, cultural expectations, and individual ideals. Failure to acquire them can make subsequent tasks more difficult. Developmental milestones mark the end of one stage and the beginning of the next. Erik Erikson organized life into eight stages, while other theorists focused only on childhood stages. Activities should be seen as a guide, not a strict rule.
A developmental task is a skill that must be acquired at a particular stage in life for development to continue. The main developmental tasks are physical, motor or cognitive skills that are considered vital to physical and mental health. Failure to acquire them may mean that developmental milestones are not met and that happiness and success in subsequent tasks may become more difficult. There are several sets of important development tasks.
The stages of development can come from three different sources. There is physical maturation, which includes learning to sit, crawl and walk; cultural expectations, which usually have an influence during middle childhood and include cooperation and socialization; and individual ideals and ambitions, which include the development of important skills in the adult world of work and responsibility. The first outline of major developmental tasks originated in the 1930s and was an extension of Freudian psychology. Although they are set according to age, the completion of these tasks depends on genetic and environmental factors.
The first important developmental tasks begin in infancy and early childhood. Basic activities like walking, eating solid foods, and being toilet trained are among the first physical milestones. Learning to talk and bond with people are some of the first motor, cognitive and social tasks. In early childhood, socialization and learning to play both alone and with others are important, as are the development of skills such as reading and writing.
In adolescence, the focus becomes less on what gets done and more on what individuals do to influence and change their world. Personal independence and becoming more mentally mature are important developmental tasks, as is finding intimacy in relationships. The adult stages are divided into early, middle and old age, with tasks focusing on family, work and psychological adjustments to each stage, particularly the acceptance of old age.
A developmental milestone is reaching a point where one stage ends and the next begins. These points are not always clear, as one stage often overlaps the next. Erik Erikson was the first to organize life into eight stages that span the entire life span rather than focusing on the biological stages of childhood development. Other theorists before Erikson such as Piaget and Vygotsky were more interested only in childhood developmental stages. There is wide variation in what is considered normal and activities should only be seen as a guide rather than a bible of what is acceptable and what is not.
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